KOMODO Program Notes
General Explanation of Notation
Komodo is not only inspired by Komodo Dragons, the famous monster lizards that live on the island of Komodo, but also by the surrounding ocean which contains one of the world’s richest marine environments. Komodo begins and ends with sections that evoke the magnitude and ferocity of the Komodo Dragon while the middle section is calm and a little wavy, reminiscent of the placid ocean and colorful marine life found in these waters. Sometimes I am inspired to write a new work by something as simple as a title, a phrase or even a single word. In this case, the word ‘Komodo’ made me think of the Italian word ‘modo’ which means mode. In its most common sense, a mode is a type of scale. Sections of this piece are made up of Westernized Balinese scale patterns and arpeggios that are transposed up or down in a somewhat “modal” fashion. Aside from any sort of programmatic or technical inspiration, I wrote this flashy, sixmallet piece to show off the bottom end of my five-octave marimba and to have something fun to play. Komodo was commissioned by Concerts in the Heights. – RP
( – long fermata & – short fermata , – brief pause , – very brief pause n
/ ^ æ
– niente
– subito (when placed before a dynamic, i.e. – hard accent
/f)
– tremolo
( ) – All markings in parenthesis are courtesy/cautionary markings. • All grace notes (including beamed grace notes with slashes) are to be played immediately before the beat they proceed. They are to be played very close to the beat and as fast as possible. • All accidentals last for the entire measure, unless they are canceled out by another accidental (such as a natural sign). Accidentals only apply to the line or space they are on. All marimba-specific notational symbols are explained throughout the music.
Premiere Concerts in the Heights Robert Paterson, marimba Fort Washington Collegiate Church New York, NY, USA March 10, 2004.
Durtation: ca. 4’00”.